DIY Projects

If your cabinet installation is close to being complete, it is probably time to think about what style of door hardware you want.

Do you like handles?  How about knobs? What style?  How about the finish?  There are many things for you to consider. The price range alone is enough to make your head spin.

There is one thing that makes this task easier. When you get ready to install, look for an alignment template at your local hardware store. They are inexpensive and save a lot of time. Read the instructions to make sure that the handles you have selected fit with the template. Whether you’re mounting knobs or pulls, these templates make alignment fast, easy and most important precise! Then just mark the location with a pencil, grab your drill and a sharp drill bit and have at it. This is one project that you can have done in just a few minutes. One that makes your cabinets complete.

Did you know that if you are looking for a new surface for you router tabletop, plastic laminate is an ideal surface for router tables, and light colors are very desirable as they make the work piece more visible. They also allow you to make pencil marks indicating start and stop positions for cuts.

The ideal tabletop is a medium density fiberboard (MDF) substrate covered with plastic laminate. Make sure you cover both faces, to equalize tension and avoid warping. And to make it smooth, sand the top with 400 grit wet/dry paper. The first time you do this, it’s a little unnerving to sand brand new laminate!

After sanding, use a tack cloth to clean the top. Then make it slick by rubbing in a coat of clear shoe polish. Buff the shoe polish for an incredibly smooth, slick surface that won’t rub off on your unfinished wooden work pieces.

In general terms, a router table consists of a flat table surface with a router attached to the bottom. The router is mounted with its base attached to the underside of the table and the bit sticking up through a hole in table’s surface. The table holds the router securely, leaving the woodworker free to keep both hands on the work piece during the cut.

Whichever type of router table you choose, make sure it is flat, smooth, slick, and stable. Flat and smooth are obvious. But why slick? Work pieces need to slide easily against both the table and the fence, creating the least amount of friction, so each pass is smooth and even. And stable is a major safety feature.

Dad’s never satisfied unless he’s wielding the latest hardware technology (whether he actually uses it or not!). Here are a few excellent hardware gifts that are sure to delight fathers everywhere. Remember, it doesn’t have to be practical for him to love it!

~Cordless Drills – a cordless drill and set of drill bits are a great gift with numerous practical applications. That creaking cupboard, loose railing, or sagging gutter is sure to be repaired quick with dad wielding one of these!

~Laser Level – these unique levels project a straight line on the wall, allowing dad to hang pictures, clocks, or wall ornaments with accuracy.

~Wrench Set – for those dads who love working on their cars, machines, and engines, a wrench set is essential.